Winter Precipitation Could Hamper Commute Across South

2015.02.24
03:53

A wide swath of the country is expecting more winter precipitation that forecasters warn could lead to dangerous road conditions during the Tuesday morning commute.

A mix of snow, sleet, rain and freezing rain is expected in parts of the southern Plains and South, where school districts in more than a half-dozen states from Texas east have canceled or delayed classes. Even parts of the coastal Carolinas could see some precipitation.

Conditions were expected to improve in Texas as the precipitation moves east toward the Appalachians by Tuesday morning. A day earlier, icy conditions in Texas led to the cancellation of more than 1,000 flights at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and a daylong delay in the trial of the ex-Marine charged in the shooting death of former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle. The trial was expected to proceed Tuesday, weather permitting.

Snow was blowing across roads and highways in the north Georgia mountains early Tuesday and ice coated cars in some of metros Atlantas northern suburbs.

National Weather Service forecasters in Jackson, Mississippi, said freezing drizzle continued early Tuesday over much of central Mississippi and some ice could form on some bridges and overpasses. Meteorologist Dan Byrd in Jackson said the drizzle would end Tuesday morning and temperatures would warm up to the 40s.

In Tennessee, where residents were struggling to recover from last weeks ice storm and bone-chilling low temperatures, up to 3 inches of snow was being forecast for the eastern part of the state during the early morning.

Tennessee Emergency Management Agency officials say 27 people around the state have died as a result of the ice storm and frigid temperatures. Tens of thousands remained without power Monday.

Snow, sleet and freezing rain are forecast from the South Carolina Midlands to the coast through early afternoon. Light snow is likely along North Carolinas northern coast.

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JET SLIPS OFF RUNWAY

Nobody was hurt after an American Airlines jet slid off a taxiway and got stuck in the grass during wintry conditions at the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, officials said.

Airline officials say 63 passengers and five crew members were onboard Flight 296 from San Antonio. All passengers safely exited the plane and were taken by a bus to an airport terminal.

Airline officials havent confirmed what caused the plane to slip off the taxiway.

Freezing rain led airlines to cancel more than 1,000 flights in and out of the airport Monday.

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DEEP FREEZE

The Weather Service said that temperatures will be 15 to 25 degrees below average for most of the East Coast west to the Great Lakes and lower Mississippi River Valley.

Forecasters warned of dangerous wind chills overnight and into Tuesday morning for parts of Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Northwestern Connecticut and far western Massachusetts can expect wind chills to 29 below and temperatures between 16 below and 5 above, according to the Weather Service.